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Some Kids Hide Sickness So Mom Doesn’t Lose Job

A new essay by Ellen Bravo, former director of 9to5, in The Nation says that in situations where mothers would be penalized for taking time off from work to care for a sick child, some children who are aware of the situation hide their illness so Mom won’t get into trouble. Bravo quoted an 18-year-old -- whose mother had no paid sick days and lost her job because of her daughter’s illnesses – as saying, "After my mother was fired, I always tried to go to school no matter how I felt. I didn’t want her to be fired again." Bravo and 9to5, an advocacy group for working women, are lobbying lawmakers to pass the Healthy Families Act which would mandate paid sick days for employees. (June 2007)